A soft structured baby carrier is a type of baby carrier that does not utilize a framed internal structure. This type of baby carrier has become more popular as a way for a parent to carry the child in a position that is close to the body while still leaving both hands free. Such a baby carrier is a useful product for a parent to use while walking, shopping, running errands, performing household chores, traveling and the like.
The current form of design for a soft structured baby carrier is typically a one-piece product made of soft good fabrics and similar non-structured foams. Typically, the baby carrier includes a cradle part that supports the child when sitting in the carrier. The lower portion of the cradle part is usually affixed to the top of a padded fabric waist part that is configured to wrap around the waist of the parent. The waist part usually includes a snap buckle with adjustable straps, with the parent operating the snap buckle at their side or back when fastening the waist part. Connected to an upper portion of the cradle part are two padded shoulder straps that wrap around the top and back of the shoulders of the parent. The shoulder straps then transition into adjustable webbing straps which pass under the armpit of the parent for connection to a middle portion of the cradle part. The parent can adjust the size and tightness of the openings formed by the shoulder straps by pulling on the adjustable webbing straps. Also included is an adjustable back lateral strap with a standard release buckle, the back lateral strap being configured to connect the shoulder straps together and prevent the shoulder straps from falling off the shoulders of the parent. The cradle part of the baby carrier usually extends vertically into the upper support portion so as to cover up to or beyond the head of the child (depending, of course, on child height). The baby carrier will typically require, for purchase at an additional cost, an insert that supports and props up the child while they are newborn and/or an infant so that the child will sit at a proper seating height.
It is common for the conventional soft structured baby carrier to support the child in three different seating positions: (1) a front carry position with the baby facing inward toward the chest of the parent, (2) a front carry position with the baby facing outward away from the chest of the parent, and (3) a back carry position with the baby facing toward the back of the parent. In the front carry position case where the baby is facing inward toward the chest of the parent, it is common for the upper support portion to extend above the head of the baby in order to keep the baby's head from falling backwards (this being more of a concern for infants than for toddlers). In the front carry position case where the baby is facing outward away from the chest of the parent, it is common for the upper support portion to be folded down, out of the way, so that it does not cover the face of the baby. Given that the shoulder straps connect to the top and middle portion of the cradle part, the adjustable straps keep the cradle portion and the baby from falling away from the parent.
While the current one piece product designs provide satisfactory support for the baby in a number of different carry positions, it is a requirement for the parent to either engage or remove the entire system (i.e., release buckles and remove arms from the should strap openings) in order to effectively use the baby carrier product. This is especially bothersome in the frequent cases where the needs of the baby, such as for naps, feeding, changing diapers, and the like, must be addressed.
An additional drawback of current one piece product designs is a requirement to purchase and configure additional components in order for the baby carrier to be fully-functional over a wide range of baby ages from newborn to toddler. Alternatively, new baby carriers must be purchased as the baby grows. In either case, this adds a monetary expense that many parents would certainly like to avoid.
Another drawback of current baby carrier designs is a lack of sufficient airflow and breathability with respect to the fabric and support that is adjacent the body of the baby.